16 “All this(A) I have told you so that you will not fall away.(B) They will put you out of the synagogue;(C) in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.(D) They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.(E) I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember(F) that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you,(G) but now I am going to him who sent me.(H) None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’(I) Rather, you are filled with grief(J) because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate(K) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.(L) When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin,(M) because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness,(N) because I am going to the Father,(O) where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world(P) now stands condemned.

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.(Q) 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth,(R) comes, he will guide you into all the truth.(S) He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine.(T) That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy

16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while(U) you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”(V)

17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’(W) and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”(X) 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn(Y) while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.(Z) 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain(AA) because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief,(AB) but I will see you again(AC) and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.(AD) 23 In that day(AE) you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.(AF) 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive,(AG) and your joy will be complete.(AH)

25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively,(AI) a time is coming(AJ) when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name.(AK) I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me(AL) and have believed that I came from God.(AM) 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”(AN)

29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.(AO) 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe(AP) that you came from God.”(AQ)

31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming(AR) and in fact has come when you will be scattered,(AS) each to your own home. You will leave me all alone.(AT) Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.(AU)

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.(AV) In this world you will have trouble.(AW) But take heart! I have overcome(AX) the world.”

16 「我對你們說了這些事,是要使你們不至於跌倒。 人要把你們趕出會堂,而且時候將到,凡殺你們的還以為是在事奉 神。 他們這樣做,是因為沒有認識父,也沒有認識我。 我對你們說了這些事,是要在他們做這些事的時候,你們會想起我對你們說過的話。」

聖靈的工作

「我起先沒有對你們說這些事,因為我一直與你們同在。 現在我要到差我來的父那裏去,你們中間卻沒有人問我『你去哪裏?』 只因我對你們說了這些事,你們就滿心憂愁。 然而,我把真情告訴你們,我去對你們是有益的。我若不去,保惠師就不會到你們這裏來;我若去,就差他到你們這裏來。 他來的時候,要為罪、為義,為審判,指證世人; 為罪,是因他們不信我; 10 為義,是因我到父那裏去,你們將不再見到我; 11 為審判,是因這世界的統治者已受了審判。

12 「我還有好些事要告訴你們,但你們現在擔當不了[a] 13 但真理的靈來的時候,他要引導你們進入一切真理。因為他不是憑着自己說的,而是把他所聽見的都說出來,並且要把將要來的事向你們傳達。 14 他要榮耀我,因為他要把從我領受的向你們傳達。 15 凡父所有的都是我的,所以我說,他要把從我領受的向你們傳達。」

憂愁變為喜樂

16 「不久,你們將不再見到我;再過不久,你們還要見到我。」 17 有幾個門徒彼此說:「他對我們說『不久,你們將不再見到我;再過不久,你們還要見到我』;又說『因我到父那裏去』。這是甚麼意思呢?」 18 於是門徒說:「他說[b]『不久』到底是甚麼意思呢?我們不明白他說甚麼。」 19 耶穌看出他們要問他,就對他們說:「我說『不久,你們將不再見到我;再過不久,你們還要見到我』,你們為這話彼此詢問嗎? 20 我實實在在地告訴你們,你們將要痛哭,哀號,世人反要歡喜。你們將要憂愁,然而你們的憂愁要變成喜樂。 21 婦人生產的時候會憂愁,因為她的時候到了;但孩子一生出來,就不再記得那痛苦了,因為歡喜有一個人生在世上了。 22 你們現在也是憂愁,但我要再見到你們,你們的心就會有喜樂了;這喜樂沒有人能奪去。 23 到那日,你們甚麼也不會問我了。我實實在在地告訴你們,你們奉我的名無論向父求甚麼,他會賜給你們[c] 24 直到現在,你們沒有奉我的名求甚麼,如今你們求就必得着,使你們的喜樂得以滿足。」

我已經勝過世界

25 「這些事,我是用比方對你們說的;時候將到,我不再用比方對你們說,而是要把父的事明白地告訴你們。 26 到那日,你們要奉我的名祈求;我並不對你們說,我要為你們向父祈求。 27 父自己愛你們,因為你們已經愛我,又信我是從 神[d]而來的。 28 我從父而來,到了世界[e],又離開世界,到父那裏去。」

29 門徒說:「你看,如今你是明說,不用比方了。 30 現在我們曉得你凡事都知道,也不需要有人問你;從此我們信你是從 神而來的。」 31 耶穌回答他們:「現在你們信了嗎? 32 看哪,時候將到,其實已經到了,你們要分散,各歸自己的地方,留下我獨自一人;然而我不是獨自一人,因為有父與我同在。 33 我對你們說了這些事,是要使你們在我裏面有平安。在世上你們有苦難,但你們要有勇氣[f],我已經勝過世界。」

Footnotes

  1. 16.12 「擔當不了」或譯「不能領會」。
  2. 16.18 有古卷沒有「他說」。
  3. 16.23 「你們奉我的名…賜給你們」:有古卷是「你們若向父求甚麼,他會因我的名賜給你們」。
  4. 16.27 「 神」:有古卷是「父」。
  5. 16.28 「我從…世界」:有古卷是「我到了世界」。
  6. 16.33 「但你們要有勇氣」或譯「但你們放心」。